What's wrong with communism?

[hermit22]

Originally posted by Tobiasly

That's good, because that's the point I was initially trying to make. If governments forced companies to give up their intellectual property as you're suggesting, those companies would no longer have an incentive to develop that technology in the first place.

You simply can't take people's stuff, whether that stuff is CD's or money or a patented process on making an AIDS drug, and pretend they'll just say "oh well, the government keeps taking my stuff, what a bummer."

No, that's not how it works. They find new ways to get stuff, or they try to get different stuff. You can't tell a drug company "any miracle drug you develop, you must donate at a 90% discount to these millions of starving Africans" and hope that they'll just keep on developing miracle drugs.

If the price of CD's were suddenly raised to $50 each, with $35 of that going to feed poor third world countries, you'd either stop buying as many CD's, or you'd start pirating MP3's, or you'd find a different hobby. If you similarly try to increase the cost of being in the drug business, those companies would find loopholes, close up shop, or most likely find some other business to get into.

You speak as if I make no changes, or that I live like some high on his rocker gross consumer. The best analogy I can think of is the Simpsons episode where they're caravanning West and Homer kills all the buffalo. I'm obviously nothing like that. I live as marginally as I can - but I still participate in the culture I live in. It would be ludicrous not to.

As for the patented process of making an AIDS drug - I'd have to say most of the international community
disagrees
with you (see Sections 2 and 3). They (and, theoretically, the US, since I do believe we're a sponsor of that treaty) recognise that the human condition should be preserved. What I disagree with is the US's sudden reversal on the subject.

I don't think the discouragement would be as drastic as you surmise. These companies can still make a ton of money in the business. But then again, I'm for the government subsidy of this kind of r&d.